Newark Catholic, River View swimmers chasing postseason peak

On Dec 22, 2022

COSHOCTON — The best part of Wednesday’s swim meet for Newark Catholic and River View against St. Clairsville was it was not practice.

The competition provided a brief respite from the most grueling training time of the season, so swimmers were not paying close attention to the scoreboard. Their holiday gifts hopefully come later in the form of personal bests during the postseason.

“We’re in winter training, so we have just been working hard and pushing ourselves,” said NC sophomore Isabella Pribonic, a Division II All-Ohioan in the 100 breaststroke last season. “We are here to have fun and get ready to be in competition season.”

“I am trying to get used to the feeling of being in competition,” junior teammate Ella Schirtzinger added. “We are both really tired today, so it is just about racing and getting that practice in.”

Pribonic and Schirtzinger both were double individual winners. Pribonic took the 50 freestyle (28.23) and 100 butterfly (1:10.08), and Schirtzinger matched her in the 200 individual medley (2:45.63) and 100 free (1:07.23).

A small meet did not lend itself many head-to-head opportunities, but River View junior Colin Addy did not have to look far for competition. Senior teammate Jonathon Vu was next to Addy in the 100 fly, and the two were stroke-for-stroke throughout until Addy got the first touch.

Addy finished in 1:11.90, and Vu was right behind at 1:12.14, beating his seed time.

“Between me and him, I feel like it was more personal because you don’t want him to win, and it was just back and forth between us,” Addy said. “I had a lot of fun doing it, racing one of my good friends.”

“I know I am not going to win. I know my teammate’s fast, so I am here to make sure he does his best,” Vu added. “I was right on him that first 50. I beat him at the 75 by milliseconds, and then he managed to push through. Him seeing me right on him, he knew he had to pick it up, or he might lose.”

Pribonic, Schirtzinger, junior Ellie Knuth and sophomore Gracie Collins won the 200 medley (2:19.23) and 200 free (2:06.74) relays. Collins won the 100 backstroke (1:16.84) and took runner-up in the 200 IM (2:49.18), and Knuth took runner-up in the 200 free (2:51.69) and 400 free (6:05.14).

The Green Wave have high hopes for their relays. They placed ninth in the 200 medley and 10th in the 200 free relays during last season’s district meet.

“We are really hopeful (to qualify for state), so that’s definitely a goal for us,” Schirtzinger said.

“It would be a great accomplishment for Newark Catholic for four girls to make it to state,” Pribonic added.

Tristan Musgrave took runner-up in the 100 back (1:19.74) and third in the 50 free (29.68) for the NC boys.

Vu won the 400 free (5:27.75), and he joined Addy, senior Jesse Shoemaker and freshman Carter Knicely on the winning 200 free relay (1:55.86) for the Black Bears. Shoemaker added runner-up finishes in the 100 free (1:02.97) and 200 free (2:32.38), and Addy took runner-up in the 50 free (26.23).

“I want to make state on the relay and get PRs left and right on my individuals,” Vu said. “I have hit one so far. I am getting closer on the others. In the 400 free and fly, I am like a couple seconds off, so I am really pushing to PR in those.”